Improving Cognitive Load on Students with Disabilities Through Software Aids

This chapter proposes a new way to improve the cognitive load and construction of e-learning environments making them more usable and accessible using emerging design. This causes a significant improvement in cognitive load. Accessibility within the area of Web applications, is actually present in different laws of many countries, trying that information could be used for everyone. This objective is limited when you are dealing with severe disabilities. An example of this is people with hearing disabilities who have never hear or speak. To solve these problems the authors propose a platform that brings a complete solution to accessibility.

Internal Key Factor in the Export Performance of Spanish SMEs

The internationalization is a complex process that requires a great effort, both financial and human, that some companies cannot spare, especially if they are medium or small companies. The authors’ investigation is based upon these medium and small companies and the problems they face, and analyzes the issues that affect their export intensity. For this, a multidimensional model is proposed as a result of a deep research on literature on this field. The results of this study show how technological innovation is an important aspect when determining an effort for exportation in this kind of companies.

European Learning Resource Exchange

The chapter presents European Learning Resource Exchange (LRE) system and scientific research results used for its development. LRE is a platform for collaboration of researchers, policy- and decision-makers, content providers (publishers), and practitioners (teachers) to share digital learning resources/ objects – LOs and new e-learning practices. The chapter presents research on LRE architecture, interoperability, reusability and quality of LOs, and new e-Learning practices using LOs. Importance of pan-European collaboration of scientists, policy makers, publishers and practitioners is shown using examples of several LRE best practice networks. Scientific models and methods to evaluate quality and reusability of LOs are presented in more detail. The chapter also presents the results of several large scale R&D projects co-funded by EU programmes that were and are implemented currently to support LRE. The author believes that research results and best practices presented in the chapter will be useful for all aforementioned educational stakeholders groups.

Digital Transition in Alaska

This chapter conducts a preliminary assessment on the early digital transition in Alaska by systematically examining the usage of the Internet in Alaska from five aspects: local information and communication technology providers, top 100 private firms, small private firms crossing different programs, the Government, and varied Alaskan communities. Over 1,000 websites were analyzed. It finds that Alaska is very committed to turning digital opportunities into a development force. The digital transition in Alaska is at various stages throughout the State. This digital transition benefits consumers instead of suppliers. It is driven by government instead of private sectors. It is strong at basic components or lower levels instead of demonstrating a balanced structure.

E-Government Maturity Levels in Brazil

This chapter examines the experiences of e-government programs in state public administrations, identifying differences in trajectory and levels of maturity achieved, by focusing on the Brazilian states of Alagoas, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco and São Paulo. The study devised and implemented a framework for analyzing the development of e-government, incorporating components and factors related to strategy and organizational structure. The evidence collected corroborates the hypothesis that strategic vision, planning and organizational coordination structures are associated with experiences that have progressed through to the deployment of e-government projects of greater complexity. It was further detected that the alignment between strategy and program is a critical factor for achieving higher stages of maturity, although a linear and sequential linkage is not always verifiable between the stages of vision, planning, organization and implementation of electronic government.

E-Governance Adoption

This chapter introduces Technology Acceptance Model, the Diffusion of Innovation model and constructs of trust, risk and personal innovativeness as a means of studying e-governance adoption. As governments around the world are moving forward in e-governance development it is important to identify factors that determine acceptance under specific circumstances prevailing in each country and give strategic insight to increase the usage of e-governance services. Primary and secondary education teachers responded to an online survey resulting to 230 questionnaires. A SEM validation of the proposed model reveals that Personal Innovativeness, Compatibility and Relative advantage are stronger predictors of intention to use, compared to trust, and perceived risk. The findings give some clues and directions for planning effective e-governance practices and could assist policy-makers with the first guidelines about which areas should be improved in order to enhance e-governance services.

Evaluation of Corporate Structure Based on Social Network Analysis

Social network analysis provides helpful reports and comparisons, which may support the corporate human resources management. Several ideas, measurements, interpretations and evaluation methods are presented and discussed in the chapter, in particular group detection, centrality degree, location analysis, process management support, dynamic analysis, and social concept networks.

Model Analysis and Development Strategy on Building an Industrial Research and Development (R&D) Centre

This chapter defines the concept of industrial R&D center in order to explore the industrial R&D impact upon the host country. On this basis, R&D center on the concept of the international industry is defined; interviews with experts as well as empirical studies on the development of industrial R&D centers are classified. Based on the above definition, this chapter will focus on building for the Shanghai R&D centers of global industry and practice related initiatives described and provide reference and guidance based on the proposed Shanghai foster industry related countermeasures R&D center for other cities by emphasizing on industrial R&D institutions.

Pressures or Weapons?

Innovating organizational structures by using information technologies (IT), this study introduced new IT-enabled structures, and presented how managers scan firms capabilities and design suitable structures in the information age. Another purpose of this chapter is to verify the role of IT-enabled structures in the multilevel study of innovation management. Findings based on hierarchical regression analyses revealed that IT-enabled structures are critical in the management of innovation. Furthermore, IT-enabled structures can explain the difference of both organizational innovation and individual creativity in organizations. It also can moderate the relationship between organizational innovation and individual creativity.

Reviewing the European Innovation Activities and Industrial Competitiveness

The purpose of this chapter is to analyse and examine the evaluation and the development of Community’s policy and how it can be implemented to European member states. This chapter also attempts to examine the effects of innovation activities and the impact of innovation policy on growth and productivity and integration process. More specifically, this chapter relates Research and Development with industrial infrastructure, productivity effects and regional development. Moreover, it analyses “national system of innovations” indicating the national technological capabilities, and also the structure and the planning on research and development. The main conclusion focuses on European technological policy and its important role for the economies of European member states with technological policy aiming to reinforce the competitiveness and enhance the convergence between member states.